One month after Renee Nicole Good was fatally shot in Minneapolis, her partner Becca Good issued a rare statement condemning the federal immigration operation she says helped create the circumstances that led to her wife’s death. Operation Metro Surge sent roughly 3,000 agents to the Twin Cities and, according to DHS, has resulted in more than 4,000 apprehensions since December. The campaign has sparked near-daily protests and community mutual-aid efforts; federal officials said they will send home about 700 agents. The Justice Department has opened a civil-rights probe into the killing of ICU nurse Alex Pretti but has not launched a similar investigation into Good’s death.
“Remember The Unseen”: Partner Of Renee Good Blasts Minneapolis Immigration Crackdown One Month After Her Death
A makeshift memorial for Renee Good at the site where she was killed in Minneapolis in January. (Stephen Maturen / Getty Images file)(Stephen Maturen)
One month after Renee Nicole Good was shot and killed by an immigration officer in Minneapolis, her partner, Becca Good, issued a rare public statement condemning the federal immigration operation she says contributed to her wife’s death and urging the city to remember victims whose names never make headlines.
In a statement released through her attorney, Becca thanked Minneapolis for its support and said she was “so proud to call Minneapolis my home.” She also criticized the federal enforcement campaign in the Twin Cities, saying the operation has harmed many families beyond those with publicly known names.
“Renee was not the first person killed, and she was not the last,” Becca Good said. “You know my wife’s name and you know Alex’s name, but there are many others in this city being harmed that you don’t know — their families are hurting just like mine, even if they don’t look like mine.”
Becca added:
“They are neighbors, friends, coworkers, classmates. And we must also know their names. Because this shouldn’t happen to anyone.”
The shooting occurred on Jan. 7, about a month after the Trump administration dispatched roughly 3,000 immigration agents to the Twin Cities in an initiative officials called Operation Metro Surge. Federal authorities said the surge followed renewed scrutiny of a state fraud investigation involving Somali residents.
According to the Department of Homeland Security, more than 4,000 undocumented people have been apprehended since the operation began in December. The campaign has prompted near-daily protests across Minneapolis and St. Paul, and it has spurred community organizing: volunteers are delivering groceries to immigrant families and neighbors are coordinating to protect their communities from enforcement actions.
Weeks after Good’s killing, ICU nurse Alex Pretti, 37, was shot and killed by Customs and Border Protection agents. Some administration officials initially defended the agents involved, and public statements from political leaders heightened tensions. In the days that followed, federal officials announced they would begin drawing down the operation in Minnesota; this week they said about 700 agents would be sent home.
The Justice Department has opened a federal civil-rights investigation into Pretti’s death but has not launched a similar inquiry into Good’s killing.
Calls for broader reform of the Department of Homeland Security and for accountability from political leaders have grown louder since the shootings. Two of Renee Good’s brothers addressed lawmakers this week at a public forum to press concerns about aggressive tactics used by federal immigration authorities.
“The deep distress our family feels because of Nee’s loss in such a violent and unnecessary way is complicated by feelings of disbelief, distress and desperation for change,” Luke Ganger, one of Good’s brothers, testified.
Becca Good closed her statement by describing the couple’s values:
“Renee and I chose kindness. We believed that every life deserves the same care, treatment, and dignity, no matter who they are or what they look like. That shouldn’t be radical. If it is, then I want Renee and our family to be known for how we practiced radical kindness every day.”
A Department of Homeland Security representative did not immediately respond to requests for comment. This article was originally published on NBCNews.com.
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